


Departure

by miumiuchuu



Category: RWBY
Genre: Family Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Academy Winter, Winter-centric, mention of Whitley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 01:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17909705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miumiuchuu/pseuds/miumiuchuu
Summary: She knew she left a life behind, but she was too relieved to grief.





	Departure

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for the-for-real-af-deal@tumblr (Soundwave3591 on FF.net), for he always dose me with great Fall and Winter snippets. Will paddle this little boat forever -- starting by making some pre-Academy Winter headcanon.

Winter packed up all her belongings, clothes, hairbrush, everything, throwing it in one place. She didn’t care. She was going out of there. Atlas Academy was her only ticket. She didn’t think she’d go anywhere playing the “good girl” role to “Dear Father”. Sure, Father made sure she had a comfortable life but did it ever worth it with all the things he had said to her, to Weiss, to Mother? All of this just for what? The “benefit” for the company? She never thought of it that way. It was always for what Father’s own twisted agenda of power and nothing else. She has gotten sick of it.

“Do you think that place will treat you any better? You’d become a drone! Nothing but an expandable to be fed to the mouth of a grimm! Not to mention that idiot Ironwood is now taking the seat as general and headmaster. Is that what you want to be? An idiot? Soulless machine like any other attributes in the Atlas military?”

She dared to say back; “The only soulless being here is you! You’re nothing but a selfish person who forces your demands for your own personal gain! I’d rather be fed to the mouth of grim than having to deal with you!” to her father, as she marched away back to her room. The memory was fresh. She knew she had regrets, regrets that maybe she could’ve handled it better but really. As she put on the Atlas Academy uniform that was just sent to her and put her hair up, she looked to the mirror and there was a girl, standing in front of her with a grey uniform, black tie, ready to face whatever lays ahead. Who is Winter Schnee? She will decide on her own who is Winter Schnee.

Winter startled, pulled back to the ground from her thoughts as she heard a little creak on the door. A figure, lean and small, her ponytails seemed bigger than her body, looking at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen. Weiss had endured so many things. Father’s demands and dismissal regardless of her efforts and limitations. Mother’s descend to the pit of alcohol consumption. She was only a child. She had cried so many times, but Winter was sure Weiss never looked this drained.

“Do you really have to go?” a crack in Weiss’ voice. She sounds so weak and small.

Winter ran to her, enveloped her in an embrace. The twelve year old cried in the arms of her older sister.

“Please don’t leave me alone! I don’t know what to do without you here!”

Her sobbing was quite hard that Winter felt overpowered. She let Weiss cry for a while in her arms until she was calm enough to talk to.

“Yes, you do. Keep training to become a huntress. By the time you’ve come of age, you will get out of here. Join an academy that is not Atlas. Beacon or Haven are your best choices. Shade… Shade is too, well,  _shady_. Right now, Atlas is my best choice. I’m lucky just to be able to go there. But if I can thrive there, Father will probably be more permissive to let you study somewhere that is not here.”

Winter wiped the tears out of her sister’s face. Weiss hands were still clutching to her uniform so tightly.

“Weiss, listen. I won’t be an heir to the Schnee family anymore. Whitley is too young so Father is going to put it on you. So if you can fight for yourself and become a huntress, go out there and learn more, I’m sure you’ll bring back something for us in the future. Change the way we are now. I know I’m trying too. I will enlist as a cadet as soon as I’m able to. I will rise like Grandfather did once and maybe with that, I can finally have power to change the Schnee family without Father’s interference.”

“You’re… You’re gonna join the army?”

“Yes, My Dear. I am. Wish me luck, ok?”

There was so much hesitation on Weiss’ face. Winter felt it twisting her chest. She knew it was too much to say such thing to Weiss now but she had to let her know. She had to prepare her. Winter was about to go, leaving Weiss behind with all the things she wished Weiss didn’t have to deal with but she couldn’t stay either. She had to create a chance for herself and show Weiss there might be chance for her too.

Winter cupped Weiss’ reddened cheeks caused by crying, caressing it so tenderly as much as she could because Gods know when would be the next time she'd be able to.

“I will visit you here, definitely. One day, when you go to an academy of your own choice, I will visit you there too. I’ll write you letters, send you things.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The two hug once more. Weiss’ cry finally softened. Winter held on to her dear little sister as if she wouldn’t have to let her go.

 

* * *

 

Winter dragged her suitcase along the empty halls of the Schnee manor. She stopped for a second to just look back and scanned every pillars, corners, windows.  _Finally_ , she thought. She took a deep breath before continued walking. At the end of the hall, Klein waited. He stood beside the door to the living room. His personalities twitched a bit. Winter smiled a little, thinking to herself if she would miss anything from this place, she would really miss that little quirk of his.

“Is Mother inside?” she asked Klein in her softest voice possible.

“Yes, Milady.”

“Thank you, Klein. It’s ok, I’ll open it myself.”

Winter made sure she didn’t make any noise. Inside, her mother was sleeping in the sofa. Two bottles were on the table, one was laying horizontally, what was left stained the table cloth. She walked to Mother, studying her face, so weary as if she literally drank her whole life away. If Winter had to be honest to herself, she didn’t want to leave her mother like this. She remembered how proud Mother was with Grandfather, how she used to tell her about his conquest and bravery. She wished Mother could see her in the uniform, hoping that she too may retrieve that glory back as she set for Atlas Academy.

After since that day, on Weiss’ birthday of any other day, Mother was never the same.

Winter spent the last few years trying to get her mother to stop drinking. Talked her down, offered counselling which fee Winter saved from her own allowance. Mother always refused. “What’s the use if your Father stays like that?” She always said, condescendingly. She sympathised but Father wasn’t the only person Mother had here. Winter wished Mother would understand that she was there for her too, back when like Mother used to be there for her when she was younger.

That memory, when Mother was sober and loving, never left Winter’s heart for a second. She believed, deep down, that version of Mother still exists.

She pushed back Mother’s white hair that covered her face and gave her a kiss in the forehead.

“I’m going now, Mother,” Winter whispered.

Winter wiped a little drop of tear as she got out of the living room. She was glad that Klein was always there to give her and Weiss all the support they needed, among all the chills that cracked her family. Klein held her by the arm, smiling, telling her that she would take care of everyone when she’s away. Winter smiled back and gave him a hug.

“I’m going to miss you, Klein.”

“The feeling is mutual, Milady. I wish you all the best.”

He never left Winter’s side until Winter was completely out of the gate.

So then, Winter took a step out of the Schnee manor. The act of freeing herself, she finally did it.  _Let it this be a new beginning_ , she prayed. She decided to give the Schnee manor just one more look before really leaving it behind. Weiss was watching her afar by the window of the second floor. Winter smiled, wishing her sister took notice before she turned her back for good and walked alone to the nearest bus station.


End file.
